When someone says to me, “I can just book this online,” they’re absolutely right. You can book that hotel, tour, cruise, or honeymoon online. Booking platforms make it incredibly easy to secure a reservation.
But booking is the final step. It’s the commitment. Design is what comes before it.
Before anyone clicks “reserve,” there are better questions to ask. Why that hotel? Why that neighborhood? Is 18 hours enough time in a city, or will it leave you feeling rushed? How will you feel at 4pm on day three? These aren’t booking questions. They’re design questions. And they shape whether a trip simply looks good on paper, or actually feels good while you’re living it.
When the design phase is skipped, what often results is a checklist instead of an itinerary.
Louvre? Check.
Eiffel Tower? Check.
But what about the time to wander the alleys near the Eiffel and find a café worth lingering in? What about finding the energy required to stand in museum lines after a red-eye flight? What about that awkward gap between activities when you’re not sure what to do next?
Without design, travel can feel like:
Overpacked days followed by unexpected boredom
Beautiful photos, but low energy
Momentum without meaning
Thoughtful design makes sure even the rests have intention. It balances structure and freedom. It protects your energy. It considers the rhythm of your days so you’re not just moving through a place, you’re actually experiencing it.
Designing and booking aren’t opposites; ideally, they work together. But many people jump straight to booking because it feels productive.
Want something warm? Book an all-inclusive in Cabo.
Want something romantic? Choose an adults-only resort.
But warmth and romance aren’t amenities you select from a filter. They’re outcomes created by thoughtful decisions about pace, setting, timing, and how you want to feel while you’re there.
Booking is the decision. Design is what makes that decision feel right.
Most people don’t need more options. They need help deciding between the right ones. They don’t need 40 hotels open in browser tabs. They need the one that genuinely aligns with:
Their energy
Their budget
Their travel style
The season of life they’re in
That clarity isn’t found in filters. It’s built through design.
Before I narrow down specific hotels or tours, I take time to understand the people I’m designing for.
I want to know:
Are they early risers or slow starters?
Do they love full days — or spacious mornings?
What parts of planning excite them?
What parts overwhelm them?
Most importantly, I consider what this time away is meant to accomplish.
Is it meant to restore depleted energy? Rebuild connection between partners or family members? Celebrate a milestone in a way that feels worthy of it? Create space for perspective after a demanding season?
Those desired outcomes shape the design. From pace and location to the level of structure in each day.
For example, if a couple is landing in Europe at 8am after an overnight flight, I may design the first day with no major attractions at all. Just a walkable neighborhood, a relaxed lunch, and an early evening reset. Not because I don’t want them to see the highlights, but because I want them to actually enjoy those highlights the next day.
I’m thinking about pace, transitions, recovery time, and how each day feels, not just what happens on it.
That’s not something you filter for online.
Most people don’t hire me because they can’t click “book now.”
They hire me because they don’t want to:
Second-guess their decisions once they arrive
Wonder if they chose the wrong location
Feel behind schedule
Come home more exhausted than when they left
What they’re really investing in is clarity before commitment. Fewer, better choices. A trip that feels cohesive rather than cobbled together.
This approach isn’t for everyone. If you genuinely enjoy researching every detail and building your own itinerary from scratch, you may not need me — and that’s perfectly okay.
But if you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by options, unsure about your decisions, or quietly wished someone would help you think it through, that’s where thoughtful design changes everything.
You can absolutely book a trip online.
But if you want a trip that feels aligned, well-paced, and intentional from start to finish, that’s the difference between booking travel and designing it.
Booking is a transaction.
Design is intention.
And that’s the work I love to do.